Xia Boyu (born 2 July 1949) is a double amputee

mountaineer Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports ...

who gained international fame after becoming the second double amputee to have climbed

Mount Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at it ...

. He reached the peak on 14 May 2018, at an age of 69 years. It was Boyu's fifth attempt (1975, 2014, 2015, 2016), and he was guided by Dawa Gyalje Sherpa. Boyu had his feet

amputated Amputation is the removal of a limb or other body part by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is ...

during his first attempt in 1975, after giving his own

sleeping bag A sleeping bag is an insulated covering for a person, essentially a lightweight quilt that can be closed with a zipper or similar means to form a tube, which functions as lightweight, portable bedding in situations where a person is sleeping o ...

to a climbing mate during a storm. In 1996, his lower legs were amputated due to

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). The name typically refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlarged lymph node ...

. He was subsequently awarded with the 2019 Laureus Sporting Moment of the Year.

References

Laureus World Sports Awards winners Living people Chinese amputees 1949 births {{China-bio-stub